Advanced Council and Mirror Training Spring 2027

Conflict Engagement and Shadow

“All religions in their original form aim to recognize and recover the divine image in all people and things. The goal is to mirror others faithfully, deeply, and fully, until all beings know who they are.”

—Richard Rohr, The Universal Christ

A young child comes to know their belovedness through the love and affirmation reflected back by parents and others. When that mirroring is incomplete, as it often is, we carry a deep wound into adulthood.

Council offers a way to recover some of what was lost. Advanced Council and Mirror Training is an Illuman Journey program designed to deepen men’s capacity to mirror others within the safe container of Council while supporting their own inner growth. The theme of this immersion is “Conflict Engagement and Shadow Work.”

The core training is a five-day, in-person immersion in the desert wilderness of Aravaipa Canyon, Arizona. Participants will practice Council facilitation and mirroring in large groups, small groups, and one-on-one, learning to become more deeply attuned to others in Council and in daily life.

Surrounded by the Sonoran Desert, participants will also engage in wilderness practices, ceremony, ritual, and solo wanders. These experiences invite deeper connection with self, others, Spirit, and the more-than-human world.

Dates and Times

February 16, 2027, 5-6:30 PM Pacific

First council session. Subsequent council sessions will be held every other week. Council sessions are on Zoom.

May 3-7, 2027

In-person immersion, Aravaipa Canyon, AZ. Accommodations in either the ranch house or camping are available.

May 18, 2027, 5-6:30 PM Pacific

First of three final council sessions, every week, ending on Jun 1, 2027. Council sessions are on Zoom.

The cost for the entire program is $675.

If you have questions, please email John Lew at gjohnlew@gmail.com or Terry Symens-Bucher at tsymensbucher@earthlink.net.